Children of all ages need a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives. As a psychic medium, I am often approached by parents who believe their children are “gifted” and seek my guidance to help them understand their abilities. There are also those who just want to know how to simply help their children become more spiritually aware to their inner self. Parents today still struggle to do so and so I wrote this article in hopes of helping those who are trying to raise spiritual children. Enjoy.

Most parents want to instill a sense of ethics, morals, and spirituality in their children. Whether we take our cues from the Bible, the Torah, the Koran, or from our own personal set of beliefs, we strive to teach kids right from wrong, to help them develop compassion and respect for others, and to give them a sense of faith and purpose. While that’s not easy to do when children are young, it’s never too early for parents to start laying the foundation for a spiritual life. How can you best achieve that? I asked colleagues of mine who are wellness practitioners & researched what religious leaders practice, who are parents themselves, and this is what they shared!

Help Them Believe

“My wife and I try to help our daughters see that God is somehow here with us. We look for His presence in the concrete, sensory ways that we experience life. Watching hummingbirds at a feeder, looking at Mars through a telescope, seeing the miracles of nature — observing these helps kids get excited about the world around them. It nurtures their sense of wonder, and ultimately, I think, their belief in God.”

Involve Them

“Kids get a sense of spirituality by being involved, and in all faiths, there are many opportunities to engage children. Music is definitely one way to do that. We play a lot of Jewish music in the car and in our home. It’s a conscious decision to try to make our traditions a part of our everyday lives. When kids come to services, they’re more apt to participate if they’re familiar with the songs.

- The Reverend Mark Larson, counselor with Methodist Counseling, in Charlotte, N.C., and father of two girls, ages 4 and 8.

Show Them Your Spirituality

“How we live and what we make time for speaks volumes to kids about what’s important. Let your children know that spirituality is important to you, and it will become important to them as well. For the past year, my son Joseph has been asking me a lot of questions about death and dying. ‘Why do people die? What happens when they’re dead? Can you still love people who aren’t alive?’ At first, I felt completely unnerved by this, but then I realized it was an opportunity for me to teach him what I believe, which is that this life isn’t all there is. While that topic might seem like a heavy discussion to have with a 6-year-old, my son was interested in everything I shared.

“Encourage your child to talk to you about questions that arouse his curiosity. It’s okay to say, ‘I don’t really know. What do you think?’ or ‘Here’s what I believe.’ Being available for such discussions is an important way to impart spirituality.”

The Reverend Felicia Thomas, a minister in New York City, and mother of two boys, ages 6 and 8.

Pray as a Family

“Although a formal religious education is important, schools and churches can teach kids only a small portion of what they need to know. The responsibility lies primarily with parents. You need to be proactive about it in your everyday life.

“I think it’s also important to pray together as a family. We started off simply — Bless this food, bless God, bless love, bless you’ — because we wanted something kids would be able to say. But now our prayer has expanded to a discussion of questions like ‘What did you see today that was beautiful? Stephen, our younger boy, doesn’t say anything yet, but he likes holding hands, which we do when we pray. I’m convinced he knows something special is happening.”

“You can use popular culture to get into great conversations with young children and to share your faith and your beliefs with them. My 5-year-old is a Batman fan, and I can talk to him about how his hero helps people and works for justice and a better world. It’s a great way to engage him in a conversation about good and bad, right and wrong.

-The Reverend Chris Tang, rector at St. George’s Episcopal Church, in Maryland, and father of two boys, ages 2 and 5.

Set a Good Example & Practice Well Being

“As a parent I make sure every week I teach my children something new about their spiritual self. The part of them that is not tangible. Meditation & yoga is something I try to get my kids to learn at a young age. Typically on Sundays, I take about an hour to talk & meditate with my kids, to learn how to be mindful with others and ourselves. I make sure they understand that physical health is also a part of being spiritually healthy. I also makes sure they write down their dreams & feelings in a journal so they could be more in touch with their inner workings. Kids are very eager to learn about being spiritual because it’s something they know they have within but too often it goes ignored by society. My Job as a parent is to make sure they never forget who they are. Powerful beings of light”

“A lot of people think church is a building where you go to hear a sermon and then you go home. But the biblical concept of church is that it’s a community. So every Sunday after worship we’ll hang out or have lunch with various members of our church. That’s when my children experience the joy and the love of God. Families who don’t spend time with their congregations really miss out.

“The biggest mistake we make is trying to make little kids understand abstract concepts of God. Sometimes they don’t need an in-depth explanation. The other day, my son Ragan asked me who made God. I said, ‘Nobody made God. God’s just always been.’ Of course, he persisted and said, ‘Well, how did He get born?’ My other son chimed in, ‘He wasn’t born. He hatched out of an egg.’ And that was a good enough explanation for Ragan. It’s not going to ruin kids’ thinking about God forever if we just let them work it out on their own level for the time being.

The Reverend Carla Street, pastor of Rivercrest Fellowship, a Baptist church in Jackson, Mississippi, and mother of twin boys, age 5.

So let me know if you got as much out of this as I did while writing & compiling this! I want to hear from you! What are some ways YOU help or plan to help your children become spiritually aware?

In your minds eye you see a meadow, covered in soft, green grass. Dotted through the soft, lush, green grass are flowers of all colours. See your self walking through the meadow. Feel your feet embraced in the coolness of the grass. Feel how soft and delicate it is on your feet. The sky is clear and blue and rays from the sun gently caress your body, filling it with warm waves of energy, allowing you to be totally relaxed. Breathing gently and easily now, you see tall majestic trees reaching to the warmth and light of the sun. The leaves and branches sway to and fro in the gentle breeze.

Approaching the trees, you come to a crystal clear, babbling brook. Walking alongside the brook, you hear birds chirping, flitting from tree to tree. The sun’s rays shine through the branches of the trees, directing and guiding you to move further downstream. Before you is waterfall. Water is cascading and caressing the smooth rocks surrounding the falls. A fine, delicate mist rises as the water falls to the brook below. Moving closer, you see a pathway under the waterfall. The water is purifying, cleansing and refreshing. Move along the path under the water.

Feel it pour gently over your body from the top of your head, through your body and out through your feet. This crystal clear, warm water cleanses away all old beliefs, all fears, all resentments, all apprehensions, and especially washes away all feelings of lack. Feel these being washed away completely. Stay in this space awhile. Feeling or perhaps seeing what is being washed away. See it all dissolved. You are very comfortable with this. Don’t be concerned if you don’t see anything now, it will come.

Affirm:
I release all ideas and beliefs of lack in my life.
I now open myself to receive my divine abundance.
I choose and accept an abundance of prosperity into my life now.
I am prosperous in good health. I am prosperous in love.
I am prosperous in wealth. I am worthy to receive these everyday……

Did you try this mediation during your day? Did it help? What did you notice! Comment below!!

TAKING A BRIEF TIMEOUT–even during the most stressful day–works wonders for your state of mind. The following quick meditation helps quiet your thoughts so you feel calm and grounded.

Since I’ve made meditation part of my daily life, I’m less likely to overreact to everyday stress, my heart doesn’t race, and I’m happier. Health psychologist Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., of Boulder, Colo., the author of Inner Peace for Busy People (Hay House, 2001), confirms my experience. “Meditation introduces you to a part of yourself that is more peaceful,” she says.

Try this meditatios today. It’s important to find a meditation you’ll practice consistently; you’ll receive the greatest benefits if you meditate every day.

If you’re feeling agitated or restless and the thought of sitting still makes you feel worse, a 15-minute walking meditation can take the edge off your anxiety. The repetitive motion of your legs and arms helps you enter a meditative state.

So lets begin…

To perform this meditation, first choose a place to walk, says Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., founding director of the Center for Mindfulness and Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Mass. “You can walk mindfully down a corridor at work, on a hike, or while walking your dog,” he says.

Begin by walking at a normal, brisk pace. After five minutes, slow your pace by about half. After five more minutes, slow your pace again by half, so that you are walking very slowly and deliberately. Focus your attention on each step that you take, concentrating on the sensation of your movements and feeling your feet connect with the earth.

If you begin to think of something other than your feet or your movements, bring your attention back. “What’s important is to remind yourself to be in this moment, taking each step as it comes,” Kabat-Zinn says.

Did you try this mediation during your day? Did it help? What did you notice! Comment below!!

I’m Psych’d About…

Ever wonder what’s on the mind of a psychic? We’ll, here are just some of what psychic medium Christopher Allan is fascinated with right now!

I’m PSYCH’D ABOUT… Being nominated for ‘BEST PSYCHIC’ on Long Island!

I feel very blessed that the highly acclaimed newspaper, THE LONG ISLAND PRESS, has nominated me under BEST PSYCHIC for their Best OF Long Island 2011 awards. At the Long Island Press, they know there is only one way to determine what is truly the Best of Long Island—and it is the same way we have made that determination since the first year of this poll, now in its 5th year of operation: They ask you to tell them. You vote. They tally. You decide. They tell the world.

Please visit bestof.longislandpress.com and find me, CHRISTOPHER ALLAN, under the ‘PEOPLE’ category and vote! You can vote once a day, everyday, until Dec. 15th 2010.

I’m totally PSYCH’D ABOUT …’Someday’ by Rob Thomas

There are very few songwriters who still produce timeless music in this day and age. Rob Thomas, lead singer of the band matchboxtwenty, is still able to pen just what we all need to hear when we need to hear it. This track, ‘Someday’, is one of my all time favorite songs of his. It was released in 2009 when his album, Cradlesong, came out, but was released as a radio single earlier this year. The video I attached, makings you smile that much more!

I’m extremely PSYCH’D about THE COPE FOUNDATION

I was introduced to the COPE Foundation at the beginning of this year and have since, grew very close to the organization and it’s members. COPE (Connecting Our Paths Eternally) is a non-profit grief and healing organization dedicated to helping parents and families living with the loss of a child. Since 1999, COPE has connected individuals who have experienced similar losses by providing ongoing emotional, therapeutic and spiritual programs. These include monthly parent and sibling bereavement support group meetings, weekly art and movement therapy workshops, and a variety of special programs for our members mourning a child’s passing, as well as the community.

As a psychic medium whose majority of clients are made up of bereaved parents, I know first hand that organizations like COPE are so needed and important in today’s world. In my eyes, there is no greater loss, than that of a child. Healing really, truly, takes place when we find people who walk down a similar path as us and make us feel that we are not alone in our feelings. COPE acts as a wonderful bridge to connect families and help them realize that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Q: Does the Other Side have a sense of humor? If so, what are some experiences you’ve had that showed the comedic side of Spirits?

A: I believe that our personalities do not change much at all when we pass away. In fact, whatever positive personality traits we have here on Earth that really define who we are, if anything, magnify 10 fold. So if someone was known for their humor in life, the same would hold true in the afterlife.
When I reconnect families with loved ones in Spirit, it’s a serious task for me to be a part of. However, Spirits often like to remind the family I’m reading about the happier times and those moments that brought a smile to their faces.
Most recently, I met a woman who’s son came through to her during our reading. This deceased son told me about a video the family had of him dancing in their family room. It was then, this grief stricken mother balled over in laughter with the new found understanding that her son was definitely talking to me, as to let her know about this video that she had kept of her son from his childhood.Turns out when this boy was alive, he would never let the family videotape anything “cute” of him. So this mom resorted to ‘hiding’ the family video camera to see what she could get of him before he got too old. One morning, while thinking no one was around in the house, his favorite music videos came on and this young boy proceeded to dance & mimic his favorite music idols for a good 10 minutes in his pajamas.
Oh by the way, have you read about how Spirits show me ‘MY LIFE EXPERIENCE’ to get me to understand what I’m supposed to say? Let’s just say, I could relate to this story. Blush…
The amazing thing was, when this son was alive, he never knew about this video. The week before this mom came to see me, she stumbled upon the video & popped it in the VCR. While reviewing this hidden footage, she cried & laughed the entire time. It reminded her just how much of a character her son was. Or to put it like her, how ‘special’ her son was. I guess someone else was watching too.
Sometimes, our loved one’s in Spirit want us to relive those moments to convey that it’s okay to smile while we mourn. For this mom, even in grief, she learned laughter can still be the best medicine.

I’m Psych’d About…

Ever wonder what’s on the mind of a psychic? We’ll, here are just some of what psychic medium Christopher Allan is fascinated with right now!

I’m totally psych’d about learning that this week, USA Networks hit series, Royal Pains, was filming not to far away from my home in Long Island for an upcoming episode for their 2nd season which premiered this week!

Here’s what the show’s about in case you haven’t heard:
USA’s “Royal Pains” was one of the most surprising hits of 2009, the #1 new show of the summer season, and it returns even more confident, entertaining, and close-to-perfect with its second season premiere on June 3rd, 2010.

I’m totally psych’d about this new Long Island based company called iDefine Apparel. If you’ve seen me conduct readings live, you’ll know these are right up my alley! These guys have the coolest leather cuffs I’ve ever seen… and they are eco-friendly! What’s even more impressive is that when you buy their cuffs, they donate a % to an affiliated non-profit that you pick during checkout!

I’m really psych’d about the hit TV series Whale Wars. I was just took part in a fundraiser that helped raise money & awareness for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an organization which tries to put an end to the slaughtering of sea mammals. The TV show Whale Wars is on Animal Planet & I’m hooked!

When I roll out of bed and drag myself into the shower, sometimes even the water hitting my face doesn’t quite wake me up like it used to. That’s why I’m psych’d aboutIrish Spring’s new line of Body Wash! The scent of that body wash is amazing and all of your senses will sing. It’s my favorite body wash to date & I highly urge you to pick up a bottle and try!

Are you psych’d these things as well? I want to know! Leave a comment!

THIS MONTH: Kundalini Meditation for you to try.This meditation is a simple meditation and one of the first learned in this style. It is also very good for beginners in meditation because it offers not only 1 but 2 focus points to keep your mind from wondering. One is the mantra and the other the finger exercise. This exercise is easy, however, upon reviewing it, this may see odd to be chanting. Please don’t be discouraged. Try it when no one is looking and let me know what you experience! ;)
The Mantra being used is Sa Ta Na Ma. The meaning of this Mantra is very simple.
1. Sa means Birth it represents the beginning, it also represents infinity.
2. Ta represents Life, both your own and all life as well.
3. Na represents Death or the end of something (your stress for example or doubts about God if you are more spiritually inclined) also it is about totality. Because death is the sum of everything it gives completion a view of the whole of something.
4. Ma represents rebirth or resurrection. When we thing of this we can also relate this to a change in our self or our surroundings.

SO LETS BEING:
While sitting in the basic ‘indian style’ sitting posture you will chant the above mantra while focusing your attention on this finger exercise: With your palms up and resting on your knees touch your thumb to the corresponding finger to the mantra. For Sa you will touch to the index finger, Ta to the middle finger, Na to the ring finger and Ma to the pinky finger.
To get the most out of your meditations you can do them twice everyday. The best practice for this meditation is one time in the early morning for about 5-10 minutes and again in the evening. After a week or so you will notice yourself being a lot more relaxed and being very slow to anger.
We have more information on Kundalini yoga on our site. As well as on many other styles of yoga.